


It's My Job!

by TheDarkestDandelion



Series: The Daemon, the Soldier and a Stolen Bio-Weapon AU [17]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angry Cid Sophiar, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ardyn Izunia Needs A Hug, Ardyn and the Daemons are terrified of Cid!!!, Assassination Attempt(s), Blood, Cor Leonis Is Reckless, Cor is Okay, Duty, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Engagement, Fear, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hospitals, Hugs, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Make Up, Multi, Pain, Phoenix Downs (Final Fantasy), Protective Cid Sophair, Protective Clarus Amicitia, Protective Cor Leonis, Scared Ardyn Izunia, Shootings, Tears, Threats of Violence, dangerous jobs, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:34:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkestDandelion/pseuds/TheDarkestDandelion
Summary: Cor gets shot in a bid to protect both Clarus and Regis, and it is too much for Ardyn to cope with to the point where he seriously thinks about calling for their wedding.Thankfully Cid is there to knock some sense into the heartbroken royal.
Relationships: Ardyn Izunia & Cid Sophiar, Ardyn Izunia/Cor Leonis
Series: The Daemon, the Soldier and a Stolen Bio-Weapon AU [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1310333
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	It's My Job!

**Author's Note:**

> This is set during The Lion That Claimed The Sky, so I have just shoved it in here. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)

Clarus saw it first. 

He saw a member of the audience pull a gun out and point it directly towards the King. Like any Shield of the King would do he put himself in harm’s way and stepped in front of Regis before the shot was fired. 

But Cor saw it too. 

In a split second, Cor made his decision. The Marshal could not stand to watch either Regis or Clarus die in front of him. Not with little Gladio here and as a member of the Crownsguard it was his duty to ensure that the line of Lucis continued and keep the King of Lucis alive. Just as Clarus had done for his King and brother, Cor jumped in front of Clarus and took the bullet for his best friends. 

BANG!!

After the bang went off screams followed. 

Cor didn’t feel anything to start off with. He just looked in the direction of the shooter and saw that Somnus had already taken the man out. Cor heard Regis scream his name, and he heard Clarus trying to usher Regis to safety. But there was so much pain in Clarus’s voice as he pulled his liege and Queen away from the scene. Cor fell backwards and hit the floor. He didn’t really care if he hit his head as he fell, all he could focus on was the burning sensation in his chest. Cor took in a deep breath and heard more screams and heard people running away to safety. The lights above him became brighter and it took Cor a moment to actually realise he had been hit in the chest by a bullet. Tears of pain leaked out of his eyes and he didn’t know what to do, but all he knew was that he shouldn’t move. He had been trained for this and he had been shot many times in the past, but the bullet it was too close to his heart this time. Before he could scream due to the pain he heard a heart-shattering scream and it was coming from Ardyn. 

“COR!!” 

Ardyn warped over to Cor as quick as he could and put pressure on the Marshal’s wound. Cor looked up at his fiance and coughed as he tried to speak to him but only a mere squeak came out. That hurt. It fucking hurt. But he had to remain calm. If he tried to keep calm his blood wouldn’t pump as fast so less would be lost. He just had to breathe. Breathe.

“No! No, no, no, no! Don’t you dare do this to me!” Ardyn yelled above Cor, pressing down harder as Cor’s hot blood covered his hands. “I am not going to let you do this!” 

Breathe. Breathe. 

Cor placed his hands on top of Ardyn’s and gave him a weak smile as he felt his blood leave his body. Cor gulped and looked into Ardyn’s panicked honey glazed eyes… he loved looking at them. Right, if Cor focused on Ardyn’s eyes, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much…. 

“Ardyn…” Cor tried to say in a raspy voice, but he ended up gasping for air as Ardyn pushed down harder on his wound. 

“It’s alright sweetheart I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay. You are going to be okay.” Ardyn’s voice sounded shook and there was nothing Cor could do to calm his fiance down. But it was okay. 

Cor’s vision started to darken, due to the shock, but the Marshal knew what that meant. He was losing blood. A lot of blood. He was going to pass out and everyone was too focused on getting Regis and Aulea to safety… well… if he was going to go it might as well be with Ardyn holding him. Cor felt his eyes drop and he knew he had to tell Ardyn how much he loved him in case he didn’t come out of this. 

“Ardyn... I love…” 

“Keep your eyes open for me. Please, oh my gods don’t do this to me now! Not again! Please COR!” Ardyn was crying now. He rested his head against Cor’s, weeping with all his might as he tried his hardest to stop Cor from passing out. 

“...Ass Hat… I love you…” Cor breathed out before finally losing all of his senses and his vision went black. 

“Cor? Cor?! COR!!! NO!!!!”

* * *

Cor blinked himself awake. His head was hurting and his chest felt like it was on fire. But he was okay. He was alive at least. Just another incident that would make people call him ‘Immortal’. The Marshal nodded to himself accepting his fate and then he realised that something as cold as ice was holding on to his right hand. Ardyn... Cor slowly turned his head in the direction of his fiance and smiled at him through exhausted eyes. Ardyn looked so pale and so scared. Ardyn shouldn’t be scared, Cor was fine. He may have a bullet wound but he was fine. Cor rubbed his thumb along Ardyn’s knuckles and said softly. 

“Hey…” 

“Don’t you dare say ‘hey’ to me.” Ardyn said in the same tone as he gripped Cor’s hand tighter. 

“What am I meant to say?” Cor asked, squeezing Ardyn’s hand back. 

Cor’s eyes grew sadder when Ardyn didn’t reply to him. His fiance looked so beaten and broken... that wasn’t like Ardyn at all. Cor tried to stroke Ardyn’s hand again to give him comfort, but this time Ardyn let go and recoiled his hand away. Instead of pushing for what was wrong, Cor remained silent and waited for Ardyn to speak. There was clearly something rattling through his brain and Cor didn’t want to make it any worse by maybe saying the wrong thing. When Ardyn felt brave enough to speak, he locked his eyes with Cor, his voice was low and nearly emotionless. Save for the clear croak of pain that lingered at the end of it. 

“... Never jump in front of Clarus Amicitia  _ ever _ again. Do you understand me?” 

“Clarus needed procte-” 

“No, he didn’t!” Ardyn’s voice became hostile then and all of it was out of fear, Cor knew that. But man did it fucking sting his ears. “His job is to protect Regis! He does not need anyone else looking after him!” 

“Please, don’t shout my head hurts.” Cor pleaded, deciding that he didn’t want to have this conversation right now. 

The Marshal was exhausted, his chest and head were hurting and Cor knew Ardyn was only going to make himself more upset if they continued to talk about this for any longer. But Ardyn didn’t want to let this topic of conversation go, he had had too many nightmares of this type of thing happening and it nearly did. Ardyn was so, so, so scared that he was going to lose Cor and he would have if Clarus hadn’t thrown a Pheonix Down at a member of the guard to give to Cor. Through Cor’s surgery to remove the bullet Ardyn just sat there and cried. Cor was so fucking lucky to get out of this mess alive, he had no idea how lucky he was. Or lucky the rest of this planet was. Because if Cor died in his arms like Aera had done, Ardyn would have levelled Lucis, Accordo, Tenebrae and Niflheim. All four great nations would have collapsed to the ground and Ardyn wouldn’t have cared. If Cor died, Ardyn wouldn’t have anything to care about anymore. 

“That’s because you got shot in the chest. You could have died… I could have lost you.” Ardyn said eyes consumed with all types of emotion. He needed Cor to see how upset and how much this had affected him. 

“I am difficult to kill. Much like my Ass Hat of a fiance.” Cor joked, a little too tired to actually see how upset Ardyn was about this. 

That was the wrong thing to do. 

Ardyn took hold of Cor’s hand again, in both of his, and violently shook his head as his voice became more desperate and harsher. “You are not immortal. Okay. You aren’t immortal. That means I can lose you. You can die right in front of me and there is nothing I can do to bring you back…. I can’t lose someone I love that much again. Don’t do it.” 

Cor let out a sigh. He knew this was why he was upset. But this was his job. It was Cor’s job to put his life on the line for the royal family. For Ardyn’s family. He had to do it, he’d get the sack if Regis died. They all would. And Regis needed his Shield to protect him, so Clarus had to live as well. Cor just did what he would expect any member of the glaive or guard to do. To Cor his actions were justified surely Ardyn could see that. 

“If this was Regis I stepped in front of would we be having the same conversation?” Cor asked, trying to avoid the elephant in the room and get Ardyn to focus on the now. But again his immortal fiance was in no place to listen. 

“Yes.” Ardyn said with no hesitation. 

“It’s my job Ardyn. It has been my job since I was 13 years old and I am not going to let my brothers get hurt when I can help them.” 

“But you’ll let me watch you die?” 

“I didn’t say that did I.” 

Ardyn let go of Cor’s hand again and stood up trying to contain his fear. It didn’t work. The panic just seeped into his voice as did the black spots that started to form in his eyes. “You could have died. If Clarus didn’t have a Pheonix Down on him you would have. Do you understand that?! I would have lost you.” 

“I am sorry.” Cor said softly, holding out his hand for Ardyn to take. 

Ardyn didn’t take it. Instead, he backed up and let his feelings bubble away inside of him. At the time it happened, Ardyn didn’t even see Aera dying. He saw Cor, the love of his life, bleeding out and there was nothing he could do to stop the bleeding. He felt so helpless and heartbroken and scared because Cor was too young to be taken. Too young to leave him and… they hadn’t had enough time together. Ardyn couldn’t live another 1000 years, waking up from horrific nightmares every night of Cor dying in his arms. He had done enough of that. Why couldn’t Cor see that?! Why couldn’t he see how damaging his actions were to Ardyn’s mental state?! 

“If you were sorry, you would know what this shit is doing to my head right now.” Ardyn growled, pointing to his temple with his eyes filling up with anger as a way to protect himself from his own emotions. 

Cor rubbed his face and snapped back. “You didn’t think fast enough! Somnus didn’t think fast enough! Clarus did and he saved Regis. I did and I saved my King and Lord Shield. My brothers! I have to do my job, Ardyn.” 

“I see… Well, I am glad to know that your fucking job outranks my feelings.” 

“That’s not fair. Don’t say that.” 

“That’s what it feels like.” 

“You know it’s not true.” 

“Than STOP being reckless!” Ardyn screamed that out.

Ardyn never wanted to change a thing about Cor’s personality ever. He’d never do it to him. But in this moment, Cor’s stupid stunts he pulled on a regular basis always gave Ardyn a near heart attack. This time… he could have lost his life to being reckless and Ardyn knew he would have lost his sanity. He just wanted Cor safe and protected… He just wanted to keep the one person he loved more than anything else ever, safe. 

Despite how much his chest and head hurt, Cor screamed back. “IT’S MY JOB! You should know you, we have the same job! To protect your family! You have done it for over 2000 years!” 

Black streaks fell down Ardyn’s face. No. He was not letting Cor use that against him. “Yes! But I haven’t had you for that long! Why do you think I have been trying to keep a hold of my tongue around people I don’t like?! Why do you think I haven’t been starting fights! Have you ever stopped and thought why haven’t you seen me die since we got together? Because of you! It’s so I don’t die in front of you or be sent to prison! Why can’t you do the same for me?!” 

Cor didn’t want to see Ardyn cry. It always broke his heart. But… this was Cor’s life. It always had been. Cor wasn’t about to quit his job for one incident. He couldn’t. So this time in a calm and soft voice, so he didn’t upset Ardyn further, he asked him a question to get Ardyn to actually think about what he was saying. 

“Right okay. I understand you are upset and scared. But if you were in my position and I was in Clarus’s, you would have done exactly what I did, wouldn’t you? 

“You aren’t getting it Cor! You can’t come back! If you die, you die!” Ardyn shouted, just getting more frustrated and heartbroken with Cor’s clear lack of understanding for his own safety. 

“I know.” 

“THAN WHY PUT ME THROUGH THAT! Why would you risk me losing you?! Because I can’t… I can’t watch that again. I can’t do it.” 

“You are too emotional to be having this conversation.” Cor stated, shuffling to get comfy. 

“You nearly died! Of course, I am too emotional!” 

“Yes, I did! For my King and my Shield! Get over it!” 

Cor’s harsh words put their argument at a standstill. Cor was in too much pain to think and Ardyn was too frightened to think about the wider picture. If neither of those things were in play, Cor would have never of said that. But the 23-year-old Marshal just simply didn’t care. He wanted this pointless argument over. 

“.... I can’t…” Ardyn whispered, his heart clearly ripping in two by the words thrown his way. 

“You are going to have to learn too.” 

“No, I am not.” 

Ardyn let out a sigh. He didn’t want this. Ardyn simply could not be arguing with Cor for the rest of the Marshal’s existence about his job. It was pointless and unnecessary and it would upset them both. And if they couldn’t get through this… was there any point in getting married? Marriage was about working together, not fighting and fearing for the other at every turn. It was about respect and trust and Ardyn did not trust himself not to go off the handle every time Cor nearly died… so should they just not? They could still be together but getting married… maybe not. As much as Ardyn wanted too and how much he loved Cor, he didn’t want to put himself through this. 

“I don’t want to ever see you die, My Marshal. This has made me realise that maybe we should just call off the wedding.” 

“What? No. Ardyn don’t be stupid.” Cor raised his voice in shock. He did not expect to ever be having this conversation. No! 

“I don’t want to break up. I just don’t want to be the next of kin that buries your body because you have been stupid and reckless.” 

“No. I won’t let you do that.” Cor stated, unable to get out of bed as Ardyn turned around and started walking out of the door. “ ARDYN! ARDYN!!!”

* * *

When Clarus and Regis came to see Cor he was a mess. He was crying and begging them to go and find Ardyn and bring him back here so they could talk things through properly. Cor wanted to get married and he wanted to get married to Ardyn. This wasn’t fair. And because Cid was in Insomnia visiting the trio, Cid came rushing into Cor’s hospital room as the Marshal was balling his eyes out on Clarus’s shoulder. It didn’t take long for Regis to explain exactly what was going on, nor did it take long for the mechanic to turn around and hunt down the daemon that had turned Cor Leonis into a bubbling crying mess. Cid had warned Ardyn many times that he would find a way to destroy him if he ever hurt Cor. And he had. Now, Cid was going to kill him. 

When Cid found Ardyn in the Citadel gardens, the smaller man didn’t give a fuck. He marched right up to him, grabbed his coat and shoved Ardyn up against a wall. Because of how upset Ardyn was and how sudden the attack was, Ardyn didn’t have a clue what was going on until the sound of Cid’s angry voice spat in his face. 

“What the fuck are ya doin’!” 

Ardyn breathed through his anxiety and tried to remain calm as one of the only mortals living that had the ability to scare him was threatening him. “Mr Sophair, would you kindly get off of me.” 

“Nah! You listen to me daemon! You are gonna go back in there and see ya fiance or I am gonna kick ya back in there myself.” Cid growled, pointing towards the Citadel to get Ardyn to do as he was told. 

The daemons inside Ardyn recoiled a bit and thought it was in their best interest to listen to Cid, but Ardyn didn’t. He remained still and used Cid’s words against him. “I thought this was what you wanted?! You don’t want us getting married!”

“You’re righ’ I don’t. Butcha have gone and made him cry. You don’t do that to my little brother! No one does that to my little brother!” 

“I am sorry. But he made me cry too. And I can’t…” Ardyn said trying to defend himself. What was he on about? There was no excuse for making Cor cry, but that didn’t matter anyway, Cid had already cut him off and shook Ardyn to get him to listen. 

“You stupid bloody fucked up daemon! He loves ya more than anyone else on this planet! You want to put that in jeopardy?! You’re righ’, ya should stay away from him! But I am not lettin’ him get upset when he did his job and you are being a baby about it!” 

“Excuse me?! You have no idea what you are talking about!” Ardyn growled, feeling very offended by Cid’s words, but the daemons weren’t allowing Ardyn to say any more than that. They did not like the way Cid was now staring at them. And they knew Ardyn would never hurt Cid… so they could be dead in a matter of seconds if he didn’t shut up. 

Cid glared at Ardyn and grumbled before continuing to give him a royal verbal hiding. “Nah I don’t. I don’t care what you might have seen through your long stupid life! I don’t care if you are sad or depressed or scared! What you need to focus on now, is what ya have got! And you got him! But if you don’t get your arse in there soon you won’t have! Do you understand me!” 

Ardyn looked down with sorrow and he wanted to cry. Why couldn’t this man leave him alone? Ardyn bit his lip and said lowly: “Even if I told you, that someone I loved very much died in my arms like Cor nearly did, and that I don’t want to go through that pain again, will you still say this to me?” 

“Yeah. Cause that ain’t his fault. That’s a problem you have that he can help ya with. He does help you daemon. I know he does. If you run away now, then you will never deserve him in my eyes. Yeah, you might come back in a few hours and say ya sorry. He will forgive you and say he’s sorry and the wedding will be back on. But if you can’t handle a little bit of reality or that kid’s reckless nature than you ain’t for him. So what are ya gonna do daemon?”

* * *

“Ardyn?” Cor gasped as he saw his fiance, well he hoped he could still call him that, standing in the doorway with Cid standing behind him.

“Hello, my darling.” Ardyn said as he quickly walked to sit next to Cor’s bed so he wouldn’t move. Knowing Cor, he was likely going to move. Ardyn ran his hand through Cor’s hair and started to apologise with everything he had. “Listen, I am sorry for overreacting. Of course, I want to marry you. That’s all I want… just the thought of losing you, no matter what way, terrifies me. I don’t want to go through that pain again. I just want you safe…”

Cor grabbed Ardyn’s other hand and gave him a weak smile. “I know and I am sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. It’s not your fault you are overprotective, you can’t help it.” 

“It’s not your fault you are the most reckless person I have ever met. That is who I want to marry… I just…” Ardyn said slowly, stopping himself before more tears came.

“I know. I get it. I love you. I really do. I’ll try to keep the recklessness down to a minimum.” Cor laughed, as Ardyn kissed him on the head.

“If you could do that Kid, I think the Six might wake up.” Cid joked, still keeping his distance. 

He didn’t like them together. Cid still thought Ardyn posed a real danger to Cor, but… Cid could not deny Cor was at his happiest when Ardyn was around. At the end of the day, seeing Cor happy and trying to have something of his own, was all what the mechanic ever wanted for this Kid who had also given him so many near heart attacks in the past. If Ardyn was the key to ensuring Cor’s happiness, Cid was just going to have to bite his tongue. 

“Oh sweetheart, please don’t do that.” Ardyn let out a small laugh. 

“Okay… I won’t.” 

“Anyway daemon. You hurt him again, you don’t want to know what I will do to ya.” Cid threatened, ready to leave to find the thorn’s in his side, better known to the rest of the world as Regis Lucis Caelum and Clarus Amicitia, so they knew that there was no longer anything to worry about in terms of Cor’s and Ardyn’s relationship. 

“I won’t.” Ardyn said quickly moving his head to look at Cid. Nope, he was too scared to anger that man again. 

Cor just laughed and also turned to Cid before giving him a smile. “Thank you Cid.” 

“Not a problem. But I mean it daemon.” 

With that Cid left Ardyn and Cor to talk things over a bit more but this time in a calm manner and a way they could understand each other’s side of things. Cor understood that maybe he should try to be less reckless but if it came to the life of Regis or the family he’d do what he had to do to protect them. Ardyn understood that he had to stop thinking about the past and live more in the present with Cor and let Cor be the Marshal of the Crownsguard, even if that meant he may lose him. When they understood that, they made up with a kiss and Ardyn stayed with Cor throughout the night and they went back to planning their wedding. 

At least things were back on track. 

The pair were going to thank Cid of that in the morning. 


End file.
